Merry Christmas and greater ethnic understanding in 2009

Here is thanking all of you for taking part in this rich debate about a home we call Finland. Some of you may remember that apart from traveling geographically, we can also travel through cultures. Here is a quick “visit” to a lower-middle class trailer home somewhere in Southwest United States. It was sent by a friend and posted because it shows with humor that Christmas can be celebrated in many ways.

Robert Earl Keene’s Merry Christmas from the Family

Mom got drunk and Dad got drunk at our Christmas party
We were drinking champagne punch and homemade eggnog
Little sister brought her new boyfriend
He was a Mexican
We didn’t know what to think of him until he sang
Feliz Navidad, Feliz Navidad

Brother Ken brought his kids with him
The three from his first wife Lynn
And the two identical twins from his second wife Mary Nell
Of course he brought his new wife Kay
Who talks all about AA
Chain smoking while the stereo plays Noel, Noel
The First Noel

Carve the Turkey
Turn the ball game on
Mix margaritas when the eggnog’s gone
Send somebody to the Quickpak Store
We need some ice and an extension chord
A can of bean dip and some Diet Rites
A box of tampons, Marlboro Lights
Hallelujah everybody say Cheese
Merry Christmas from the family

Fred and Rita drove from Harlingen
I can’t remember how I’m kin to them
But when they tried to plug their motor home in
They blew our Christmas lights
Cousin David knew just what went wrong
So we all waited out on our front lawn
He threw a breaker and the lights came on
And we sang Silent Night, Oh Silent Night, Oh Holy Night

Carve the turkey turn the ball game on
Make Bloody Mary’s
Cause We All Want One!
Send somebody to the Stop ‘N Go
We need some celery and a can of fake snow
A bag of lemons and some Diet Sprites
A box of tampons, some Salem Lights
Hallelujah, everybody say cheese
Merry Christmas from the Family

Related

That’s really sweet. Yeah, it really makes you think about the diversity of people celebrating Christmas. Most people where I live aren’t Christian and they celebrate it. They also incorporate things from their culture which is pretty neat.

Hi girlslashwoman, you bring an interesting question: What is Christmas? I am certain we’d get a very long and varied list of answers. But as you said, Christmas incorporates many diverse things from different cultures. Christmas is a sort of “fit-all cultures” event, which explains why it is so popular.
I visited your blog and enjoyed reading some of your posts, especially the one on random posts. Not a bad idea at all.

I think these days, well at least where I live, Christmas is just a univeral holiday that anyone can celebrate if they want. It has become something like Halloween.
I suppose it might be because there are so many Christians out there that aren’t practicing so the line between religion and Christmas is getting blurred.
Thanks for visiting. Checking out random blogs is what I do almost daily. That is how I ended up here 🙂

Enrique – Have a happy Christmas with your friends and family. I hope health, comfort and contentment for you in the New Year, maybe also some adventures?
This video is so MTV and funny. There are as many ways to celebrate as are families – the diversity is great as are beliefs. Cheers! G

Hauskaa Joulua ja Onnellista Uutta Vuotta.
I disagree with DeTant Blomhat, maybe in 20-50 years it will fade away as more people realize what a farce it is. As it is now it is the biggest holiday to enrich the merchants.

Hi Kuluri, probably this part of Christmas we can do without the commercial aspect. In my opinion, it should be a season when the family can get together and enjoy the gift of love.
Hauskaa Joulua ja Onnellista Uutta Vuotta!

Oh, as for the “Christmas” the Nordic Yule was a series of feasts revolving around the winter solstice – as we see most modern “Christian” traditions are placed on top of the solstice and equinox times as there were previous traditions that couldn’t be rooted out. So like any other feast the Finnish one has a few old things, a few new things, a few borrowed and a few invented. Like the “Yule Goat” that is left as a name on top of the Santa Claus figure, but the original version was a bit more goat-ish http://www.axis-of-aevil.net/img/2005_01/nuutpr01m.jpg and then of course theres the pantomime or posada of the three kings or star boys. kaiku.com/tiernapojat.html the libretto dates from the 19th century and has been kept traditional even it may be slightly peculiar to ask for a blessing for the czar…

“As it is now it is the biggest holiday to enrich the merchants.” Ah, I didn’t consider that – of course the market forces need such a consumerist festivity of potlach. Why else would there be Christmas in Japan or China or Halloween in Finland nevermind Valentines Day if it were not for some wicked good marketing skills. Who knows what other feasts will be introduced, their origins obscured, but I won’t mind as long as they’re an excuse for a party. We definitely need a few this time of the year.